When I first moved to Tucson, in the early 1980s, a friend took me to Madera Canyon to search for an elusive bird called a Trogon. She told me to listen out for a call that was like the barking of a dog. We didn’t see or hear it and I have spent many trips to Madera in the subsequent years hoping to catch sight of an Elegant Trogon. These beautiful birds are found in Mexico, but they can also sometimes be found in four mountain ranges in Southern Arizona: the Atascosas, the Santa Ritas, the Huachuchas, and the Chiricahuas. Within those mountains, Trogons select canyons with sycamore trees in riparian areas.
In February 2019, a White-throated Thrush, another Mexican bird, was reported at Madera Canyon. The bird is very rare in the U.S. and birders flocked from all over the country to catch a glimpse of it. It was the first time it had ever been seen in Arizona. I took off to Madera to see if I could find it.
White-throated Thrush
I did get to see and photograph the rare thrush (above), but even more exciting for me, someone reported that a Trogon had been spotted further up the trail!
At last, I got to see the elusive Elegant Trogon. When the bird flew off, the crowd that was watching it dispersed, but I followed it over the creek and up a hill. I got very close, within ten feet, and the bird seemed as interested in me as I was in him. We spent about 15 minutes together and I was able to get many photographs. A really terrific experience!
I have since also seen a female in Sabino Canyon (below left) and a pair nesting in a power pole at Madera Canyon. Elegant Trogons put their nests in holes in trees (and power poles), but they don’t have the ability to make these holes themselves, so they are dependent on woodpeckers to excavate nest holes for them. Once the woodpecker has moved on, Trogons can move in.
These days, before I venture down to Madera Canyon, I check on eBird, to see if any Trogons have recently been reported there. I go to the area of recent sightings and wait to hear the barking call. Sometimes it's a long wait, and sometimes I don't hear the call at all. When I do hear the unique call of the Trogon, I make my way towards the sound. Usually this means leaving the trail and often crossing the stream and clambering up the side of the canyon.
When tracked down, Elegant Trogons are very coopertive models. They allow you to get fairly close and when they do decide you are too near, they will fly to a nearby tree, and allow you to approach again. Below are the most recent shots taken at Madera Canyon.
